THOMAS CATERERS OF DISTINCTION

Black Iris Estate was the perfect location for my daughter’s springtime wedding.  The Carmel location offered both indoor or outdoor ceremony and reception areas.  Although the wooded outdoor area is beautiful, we opted to hold both ceremony and reception indoors due to the time of year.  An outdoor balcony surrounded the ballroom, which was a perfect location for obtaining photographs of the new couple or for our guests to enjoy during the cocktail hour.

 The venue recently underwent an extensive remodel, and in doing so, the history and feel of the mansion was preserved.  Considerable thought was put into the fine details that make the bridal party comfortable prior to the event.  Our guests were impressed by the lovely chandeliers and ceiling detail, the wood flooring, and abundance of windows and natural light. 

The wedding ceremony took place on the west side of the ballroom, which was separated from the remainder of the ballroom by a “soft wall.”  After the ceremony, our guests enjoyed a cocktail hour in several rooms located in the front of the mansion. While photographs were taken, the “soft wall” was removed, and the ballroom was quickly reconfigured for the reception.   There were comfortable accommodations for the grandparents during this time, which was very important for both families.

 Food and beverage service were perfect!  The food arrived at our table hot, and all 150 guests were served in less than 10 minutes.  All food was appropriately prepared and beautifully presented.   The service staff was attentive, keeping my mother’s coffee cup filled with warm coffee at all times.  Guests raved about dinner, some saying that they “ate past fullness” because the food tasted so very good.  

 Our evening of celebration concluded at midnight.  The staff efficiently readied all items that we were to take with us at the end of the night, which was a huge relief to the parents of the bride!

 As you have read this review, you may be thinking “too good to be true” and surely there was something that went amiss?  Please bear with me as I continue, as it is worth the read.  Our wedding was the first event held at Black Iris Estate.  We originally booked the event when the facility was under different ownership.  Approximately 7 months before the wedding, we were informed that the facility had been sold, would undergo remodel, and that ours would be the first event. 

 Although a bit nervous at first, we put our trust and faith in the owners and staff of Thomas Caterers of Distinction and Black Iris Estate.  This team delivered, and delivered beyond expectations.  They handled every curve ball thrown their way.  I have never worked with a more accountable and resourceful organization.  Well done, Vince and Kelly Early, Lauren Allen, Kelly Robertson, and the rest of the staff that made our night so special!  

The one thing that was amiss?  There was a minor issue with the front door.  That is all!"

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Kevin Snyder at Thomas Caterers is a delight! He went through the menu options with us, arranged a tasting in the office, helped us choose linens and china, and supervised the reception after the wedding. He and his staff were attentive, all smiles, and ready to do whatever was necessary to make guests feel welcome. For example, when they discovered one guest was allergic to balsamic vinegar, they quickly prepared a salad for her with a different dressing. The food was great, service was timely, and they accommodated a couple of unusual timing requests. Couldn't have gone smoother!

I was extremely impressed by my first meeting with the Thomas coordinator. She was friendly and enthusiastic, but professional. The office is really nice and I felt excited about potentially working with the company. What followed after the meeting was, unfortunately, less impressive. The coordinator and I seemed to have a difficult time synching up by email and when we finally scheduled a time to talk by phone, I didn't hear from her that evening or afterward. About three weeks later, I got an email asking if I still wanted to talk about the proposal she had provided. I had moved on after that last communication break-down and had booked with another caterer by that time, which I let her know. I received only a blank email in response (perhaps an accidental response?). What started as a highly impressive experience ended less so, which is unfortunate, considering all the really wonderful things I read on Angie's List about their food! I'm sure not everyone has had the same communication problems that I was experiencing so I would suggest regularly communicating by phone if you aren't getting quick responses via email. Overall, I would consider calling them in the future but would request to work with a different coordinator.

My initial visit with Vince was great. The inside of their facility is immaculate with gorgeous pictures of food and place settings around their office. Vince and I sat in their kitchen to discuss my wedding and the details. I could really tell that he knew what he was talking about when it came to food and presentation. We spent an hour together going over menu ideas, and Vince had so many creative suggestions. This is definitely a high end catering company and his professionalism really shined through. I was sent 3 quotes from them all with different menu ideas. The main obstacle with my experience was that I felt like we couldn't keep the menu I wanted within my budget, as all the bells and whistles were added on. It was almost sad to see all the fabulous things they offer only to know that in the end it wasn't going to fit in my budget. I think if Thomas Caterers would have started out smaller with the menu and then given me the chance to work my way up, and add things on, I would have been more comfortable with booking them for my event. I would recommend Thomas Caterers to anyone looking for a company that takes catering seriously. I hope I have the chance to work with them in the future, maybe for my wedding anniversary!! :)

We had an AMAZING meal - hand picked for me, knowing my passions in food! For example, in addition to olive oil poached grilled filet of beef with foie gras, he specially prepared 3 slices of top grade foie gras for me as a side! He made a deconstructed seafood chowder with Guinness steamed mussels and a seared sushi grade scallop that melted in my mouth! And, the dessert included ginger ice cream on a spoon with honey. There were 3 other courses and 2 other desserts, rounding out the intimate, fun evening with friends and family. Chef Eric knew exactly HOW to take the inputs from my partner on my culinary passions, and turned them into heavenly creations that were welcomed with oohs and aaahs. The Pastry Chef, concocted three amazing desserts that showcased rich chocolate, fresh berries and ginger ice cream. The Event Designer, added so many personal touches to the evening -- he communicated with the staff, and helped them "know me" before the party arrived, so that Thomas' private room was transformed into Todd's private culinary sanctuary. He enabled Eric and Jeff to select the perfect foods and had flower arrangements that complemented the masculine "meterosexual" linens and place settings. The owner, apparently hand-picked flowers from the front rose bush to accent the black table cloth with fresh petals. The special touches - the personal attention to detail - the creative energy that went into this blew me away! Kiersten and Nina were our servers - I hesitate to even use that word. They were the angels who looked over our heavenly experience, and made sure the clouds from 1 to 9 were at our beckon call! Thank you, thank you -- what a great way to celebrate my 40th with close friends and family in a unique, personal and creatively decadent manner!

We chose Thomas because we really enjoyed working with Vince Early and also because we felt Thomas had the most to offer us in terms of food, bar and rentals for our wedding reception. We were able to customize our menu with them from appetizers, to entr e to dessert. We changed the menu numerous times and while I wouldn't recommend doing so...Vince was very understanding. We also decided to rent all of our tables, chairs, linens, chair covers and even centerpieces through them. They truly are a full service catering company. Overall we were happy with Thomas' but I would stress - no matter what vendor you are using - be specific, organized and make sure everyone is on the same page with your expectations. Even the little things that did go wrong were overshadowed by the compliments we received particularly about the carrot souffl and Thomas' Bananas Foster Flamb . Those were a great hit! I would recommend Thomas to others for small to large events we were very pleased.

I met with Vince at Thomas Caterers of Distinction to discuss my upcoming wedding this spring (07). I was very impressed by the meeting. Vince spent AMPLE time with us to discuss what kind of food we prefer, what our overall vision of the day is and also what they can provide to accomplish our vision. I am also impressed by the thoroughness of their proposals. We've visited three caterers thus far and Thomas has the most comprehensive proposal I've seen. There are really no hidden costs; everything is spelled out where even a novice planner can understand. While we haven't made a decision on a caterer yet, Thomas is certainly one of the top three on our list. If you are looking for a caterer for your wedding or other type of an event I would definitely recommend getting a quote from Thomas.

VINCE EARLY WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH. HE WORKED WITH US TO MAKE SURE WE GOT WHAT WE WANTED AND THE FOOD WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. THE RECEPTION WAS PERFECT THANK TO VINCE AND THOMAS CATERERS. LET VINCE KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND HE WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE IT. THE ACTUAL MEAL FOR THE GUESTS IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FOOD YOU ARE GIVEN TO TASTE.

VINCE EARLY WAS VERY HELPFUL AND VERY PROFESSIONAL AND WILLING TO WORK WITH US TO HAVE AN ELEGANT PARTY AT AN APPROPRIATE PRICE. THE STAFF COULDNT HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL AND THE FOOD WAS OUTSTANDING. WE RECEIVED MANY NICE COMPLIMENTS FROM OUR GUEST. WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT RECOMMENDING THOMAS CATERERS OF DISTINCTION AND WOULD CERTAINLY USE THEM AGAIN.

DID AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE JOB CATERING FOR 45 PEOPLE, VERY PROFESSIONAL, FOOD WAS GREAT, EXCELLENT CLEAN-UP, COULDN'T EVEN TELL THAT ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE HAD BEEN AT HER HOUSE.

CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS. EASY TO WORK WITH IN BUDGET. DID REHERSAL AND BRUNCH FOR WEDDING. CLEAN-UP EXCELLENT.